Laundry ironer rack



July 14 1953 Y R. J. HERRC'KE 2,645,364

, LAUNDRY mom mx K Filed July 3, 194B '2 Mm 2 Patented July 14, 1953 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAUNDRY IRONER RACK Ralph J. Herrcke, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 3, 1948, Serial No. 36,879

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to laundry apparatus, and particularly to a so-called shake-out rack for supporting shake-out poles upon which ilatwork laundry is draped, and for guiding the loaded poles to a flat-work ironing machine.

It is the common procedure in ironing relatively large flat-Work, such as `bed sheets, bed spreads, etc., to shake out the damp flat-Work upon a table and thereafter drape the pieces over shake-out poles which are supported upon a shake-out rack, the rack having inclined guides for supporting the ends of the poles and along which the loaded poles can be slid toward the ironing machine. Upon reaching a point on the guides adjacent the ironing machine, the ends of each pole are lifted from the guides and the pole transferred bodily from the rack to the ironing machine where its ends are placed in brackets on the machine, the damp flat-work being then shaken out and its edges inserted in the machine to be automatically ironed. It will be apparent that poles, over which a number of damp bed sheets are draped, are extremely heavy and for this reason the task of transferring the loaded poles from the rack to the machine is a laborious one and often resultsin serious injury to the workers. Moreover, due to the unwieldiness of the pole and its load of nat-work, the workers find it extremely difcult to guide the ends of the pole into the brackets or holders on the ironing .v

machine and it is not uncommon to drop one or both ends of the pole, thus allowing the work to strike the floor and become soiled. It would therefore seem that the solution to this problem is to position the shake-out rack so that the delivery end ofits guides is disposed in proximity to the holderson the ironing machine so as to avoid the necessity of manually lifting the poles and transferring them to the holders.

However, such an arrangement has heretofore been deemed impractical for the reason that the workers must assume a position directly in front of the ironing machine in order to allow them to simultaneously shake out and lead the flat-Work onto the feeding apron of the machine and, if the delivery end of the rack is thus disposed, such position of the Workers is impossible. In addition, the amount of flat-work fed by the workers has been limited by the ability of the Workers to lift the poles and the work supported thereby.

It is an important object of this invention to vprovide a shake-out rack, for use with an ironing machine, which will eliminate all the faults of previously used racks as discussed above.

Another object is to provide a shake-out rack which is adapted to be disposed adjacent to but spaced at a suitable distance from the workreceiving end of a flat-work ironing machine, the spacev between the rack and the machine being normally closed by gates which, when in extended position, form continuations of the guide means of the rack. By this means, the loaded poles can be slid throughout the entire distance from the shake-out table to the ironing machine so that lifting of the loaded poles is unnecessary and physical exertion on the part of the workers is practically eliminated and the amount of work Supported by each pole can be greatly increased. Moreover, since the loaded poles are fully supported during their transfer to the ironing machine, dropping of the poles and the nat-Work held thereby onto the floor is wholly avoided. A related object is to provide, in a shake-out rack, gate means which can be readily pivoted to retracted or inoperative position away from the ironing machine so as `to open the space between the rack and the machine, thus enabling the workers to walk into the space or pasageway and assume a position directly in front of the ironer, at which station theycan further shake out the flat-work and place it on the feed apron of the machine. Following the transfer of the flat-Work from the pole located on the ironing machine, the Workers take up positions at the sides vof the machine, at which time the empty pole is lifted from the machine and returned to the shake-out rack and placed on an auxiliary guide which directs successive poles to an end of the rack to be again loaded, the auxiliary guide being of novel construction, and this is another object of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shake-out rack in which the guide means forguiding the loaded andempty shake-out poles are inclined to facilitate movement thereof, and in which stop means are provided for preventing displacement of the poles from the guide means. Another object in this connection is to providegate means having stop shoulders thereon, and means for raising the gates to a slight degree during their pivotal movement to retracted position so as to dispose the shoulders above the path of sliding movement of the loaded poles along the guide means of the rack toward the ironing machine. By this means, the loaded poles are thus retained on the rack and prevented from sliding therefrom when the gates are opened. A further object in this connection is to provide inter-engaging cam means on the 'ae-1.55364V the machine and transferred to another machine when such a procedure is necessary. 4The rack is thus rendered more portable and, as a result,

less physical eiort is required to set upthe rack in various locations. Moreover,Y thej individual frame members can be spaced apart at any desired distances so that shake-out poles of diiierent lengths can be supported therebetween.

- Further zobjectsoi the invention will be apparent from.v thev following detailed description and-fromthe drawings, which are intended for the purpose ofillustration, andin which:

Fig. l .isa perspective. View oi my improved shake-out rack,.showing it employed for feeding shake-out poles to a nat-work ironing machine;

Eig. 2 is a .perspectiveview of the delivery end of one .of the 'frame members, .showing the -gate `in-.extended or operative position;

Fig. Sis aview similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the .gate `in retracted orinoperative position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged `fragmentary View of the pivot means for the gate and also the cam means for .raising the gate;

Fig 5 is an enlargedcross-sectional view, taken .online 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Y `Fig. 6 is an end .elevation .of the lower portion sof... an alternative... formof: frame-member for v the rack, showing means foradjusting the height. .of the rack.

...Referring to thedrawingsin detail, my im- `proved shake-.out rack .I0 is herein shown as ....usedin connection. with` a flat-workironing ma- ...chine I I..although the rack may be employedwith ...other Ltypes. of .laundry and text-ile apparatus. yThe .ironer- .II illustrated herein is of the con- .aventionalatypehaving sideframes I2each prov.ided.-with abracket :I3having a slot I4 therein adapted .toreceiv'e the .ends I5 of shake-outpoles f I6 so as to support-.the latter, this structure .being common toironers now in use.

The shake-out .poles-I8. are .adapted to support .bed-sheets,

Aspreads andf.otherat textile articles 2Ilwhich are tov be ironed. .thedamp flat-work pieces on. .-.theapole disposed inthe slots .I4 being shaken out by workers who stand in front of the machine.

Theends ofthe pieces :20 are subsequently placed .on a traveling feed apron I1 which thenfeeds the pieces through the machine to be ironed.

As is common practice in laundries, the .shakeontrack `is.disposed `in front of the flat-work ironer and is adapted to support a series of the loaded shake-out poles and to guide the same toward the ironer. .At its side remote from the` ironer, the shake-out rack has a restor support upon which emptyy poles are held during 4the draping. of: the damp nat-work thereover, the

flat-,work .being .transferred from a lshake-out table 2l disposed adjacent the support or loading sideof the rack.

The improved shake-out rack Iil comprises a pair of unconnectedv frame members 24 and-25 each ofwhich has a forward stanchion 26, arearnward stanchion 21.4 anda pair of horizontal con-v Y jacent the ironing machine or moved away from l 4 nesting bars 28 and29. The stanchions 26 and 21 are supported by transverse feet or bases 30 which rest upon the floor or other support and which may be readily slid therealong. Connected between the upper ends of the stanchions 26 and 21 of each frame member 24 and 25 is a third bar 32 which slopes downwardly from the rearward side to the front side of the frame member. rjhe frame members 24 and 25 may be made; from any suitable structural ielements, such as angle-iron sections, but I prefer to fabricate them from tubular stock so as to avoid Vsharp corners, the tubes being welded or otherw-ise secured together in the assembled relationship shown inthe drawings. The upper inclined bars -32 or-the frame members 24 and 25 tofgether. ..provide.an inclined primary guide upon whichthe ends I3 ofloaded shake-out poles I8 are adapted to rest and along which the poles are capable of being slid toward the ironing mathe-germs, I5 .of emptyshake-.out poles I5 rest yguide bars-32- for this purpose.

during-thedraping of the flat-work' 28 there- Oyer. v.To .prevent these poles from sliding off fromv-:thel'rearward'side ofthe rack, I prefer to attach stop plates; 34 to :the-stanchions 21, .the .upper ,ends of -the plates projecting above4 the l Substantially U-shaped'brackets 36 are secured to the^crossvbar-28 of--eachframe member 24 Vand 25 and project-laterally outward, `then upward and terminate in inwardly directed portions to which auxiliary longitudinal guide bars 31 are welded or..otherwise secured. -The guide bars 31 a forward horizontalA portion 38 `and a. rearward inclined-portiong ggwhichslopes downwardly Atol the horizontal. and inclined; portions V38 and 439, each. auxiliary. guide bar 31 has` a raised-lug 40 .which serves as. a-stop forqresisting unwarranted rearwardsliding movement-ofthe shake-out ,poles l clinvedportionsY 39.Y Caps 4I; applied vto the for- .ward'ends ,of the horizontal Vportionsl 38. also act wardthesupport l33. Atthe intersection between,

-I F5' from the horizon-talportions; 38, onto the inasstopsforpreventing forward sliding movement of the empty shake-outfpoles I6 fromfthe rack.

Attached to the stanchion` 26 i of eachframe member 24 and 25 is a verticaltube 45 in which is `held a. -pivotvstuddl, the stud'projecting above the'. upper end of the tube .(Fig.. 4). Theupper end- .of thev tube. 45. isprovided. with` a notch. 41,

Eachfgate and 5I ismade fromtubular. stock V and is ofv substantiallyv triangular. shape. .gate has a vertical.1 egf52fthev lowerv end of which Each Acured to the :stanchionf 26 a nd surroundingthe leg-f 52'l adj acentits upper end, providing additional `supportfor thogate; to adaptgit'ior pivotal movement in ahorizontal plane. Each triangular gate 58 and 5I has` a: secondleg; 54 which projects .-laterallyganddownwardly-.from the upper end oii thelegt521to 4provide an inclinedsecondary guide along which the :loaded poles |61 ,can `be slid. A bar 55 extending between the legs. 52. and -,54.serves asa bracefor .the gate structure. The lower end f oftheverticalflegZ is providedwith a cam lug 56 adaptedto.besdisposedin the notch: 41of the 5 *To applyi the shake-out rack lIIJ to use in connection with the flat-work ironing machine Il, the individual frame members 24 and 25 are slid along theiloor to a position in front of the machine and their gates 50 and 5I opened to extended position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By sliding the frame members forwardly and laterally, the outer ends of the guide bars 54 can be, brought into register with the slots I4 of the| l ironer frame, that is, these ends can be so arranged relative to the slots that the ends I5 of a shake-out pole slid along and over the ends of the bars 54 will drop into the slots to be supported by the brackets I3;

After the frame members 24 and 25 have been f thus `adjusted with respect to the ironer and spaced apart from each other a distance which will permit the ends of the shake-out poles to rest upon the guide bars 32, 31 and 54, a series of the shake-out poles IB are applied to the rack by merely placing them upon the auxiliary guide 31. The rack is then ready for operation.

During operation of the ironing machine II, workers stand alongside the table 2| and as damp iiatwork laundry is delivered to the table the workers shake out the pieces and drape them over a shake-out pole I6 which has been transferred from the upper guide 31 onto the supports 33 of the main guide bars 32. After this pole has been 'thus loaded, it is slid forwardly along the guide bar 32 and another pole is transferred from the guide bars 31 onto the supports 33 to be similarly loaded with fiat-work pieces. As each loaded pole is slid forwardly along the guide bar and reaches the forward side `of the frame members 24 and 25, workers stationed adjacent the ends of the rack exert force against the projecting ends I5 of the pole I6, thus causing the pole to slide down the inclined guide bars 54 of the gates 50 and 5 I, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2. Eventually, the loaded pole I6 rides off `the end of the guide bars 54 and its ends I5 drop into the slots I4 to mount the pole on the ironing machine. Thereafter, the workers push the guide bars 54 to swing the gates 50 and 5I inwardly to the retracted or inoperative position shown in Fig. 3 so as to effect an unobstructed passageway between the ironer and the rack. The Yworkers are thus able to enter the, space thus formed between the ironer and rack and to assume positions in front of the loaded pole, whereafter the workers additionally shake out the flat-work and lead its edges onto the traveling apron I1 which then feeds the work through the ironer.

After the work has beentransferred from the shake-out pole I8 onto the ironing machine II, the workers exit from the passageway and swing the gates to the extended position shown in Fig. 1, thus closing the passageway and restoring the gates to rst position. The workers then grasp the ends of the empty pole and lift the latter and deposit it on the forward end of the upper guide bar 31 to adapt the pole to be later slid rearwardly to loading position.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that when the gates 5U and 5I are in the extended or operative position, the rearward ends of their inclined guide bars 54 are disposed in alignment with the main guide bars 32 so that the bars 54 provide continuations of butare inclined at a somewhat steeper angle than the bars 32, this arrangement permitting free sliding movement of the loaded poles I6 to the ironing machine. However, as the gates 5D and 5I are pivoted to the retracted position shown in Fig. 3, their cam lugs "Stride out `of the notches 41 'alongthe cam faces 48 and come to rest upon the upper edge of the tubes 45. It is thusseen that during pivotal movement of the gates 50 and 5I to retracted position, they are automatically elevated, the effect of this actionbeing to raise the rearward end of the guide bars 54 slightly above the main guide bars 32 to thus serve as stops or barriers against which the loaded poles I6 on the guide bar 32 must engage 'if they are inadvertently slid forwardly. By this provision, displacement of the loaded poles from the rack to cause possible injury` to the workers located between the rack and the ironer is' avoided.`

The operation as explained above may be continued as long as there remains a supply of flatwork to be ironed, workers loading the work on the poles at the rearward or loading side of the rack I0 and pushing the loaded poles forwardly, and workers at the forward end of the rack then successively sliding these poles along the gates 50 and 5I and into the recesses I4, opening the gates, transferring the work from the pole to the ironer, closing the gates, and thereafter .transferrng the stripped pole from the machine to the guide bar 31. Itis thus seen that the entire shaking out and feeding operation is systemmatioally and expeditiously carried out. Moreover, since the loaded poles are fully supported during their entire travel from the loading position onto the ironing machine, it is unnecessary to lift the poles manually and thus the operation is accomplished without appreciable physical effort on the part of the workers and fatigue is thus reduced to a minimum.

Conventional shake-out racks commonly employed in laundry establishments have been impractical for the reason that the load of flatwork .carried by each shake-out pole has been necessarily limited to the weight which could be safely lifted by two women workers. Byv the use of the present shake-out rack, the capacity of the work fed to the ironer is limited only by the ability of the shake-out poles to support the weight of the work. In other words, since the poles are no longer lifted by the operators but merely slid along the rack, the amount of damp work carried by each pole and fed by the Women workers is increased to a great extent. For example, it has been determined that by use of the present improved rack, 75 damp bed-sheets, each weighing approximately 21/2 pounds, can be safely supported by a 2 inch by 3 inch shake-out pole and readily slid along the guide bars to the ironing machine. It is thus seen that flat-work having a total of approximately 188 pounds can be conveniently and safely handled during eachV feeding operation and the productive capacity of the ironer is greatly increased. Since the loaded poles are fully supported at all times, possibility of the poles dropping onto the floor to soil the work carried thereby is avoided. The

successful function of the rack is attributed to the provision of the gates 50 and 5I which, While serving primarily to support and guide the loaded poles onto the ironer, can be opened to provide a clear space between the rack and ironer to permit the workers to take up positions directly in front of the machine.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it is Within the concept of my invention to provide means for adjusting the height of the shake-out rack so as to further facilitate movement of the shake-out poles along the guide bars and in accordance with the height of the ironing machine and the length of the 1'1flatiWork-itcf -be handled. C Inl this @modified :con-

struction; the 1 feetforlfbases 0i, whichL correspond to .the siinilarfelements -30 described before; carry vertical? gusset vplates A`6 I=11whichl,--in. turn,' `SUPPOF'G `respond tothestanchionsZ'B, areprovided 'with a seriesrof aperturesl throughwhich the bolts62 can-'be inserted to connectthe `stanchions ltolthe bases. Bythis means Y.the heightoi' the'sha'keout rack-can be readily variedfin vaccordance with the requirements.

While I have hereinzlshownandV described the shake-out rack :as .embodied in afpreferrediform of construction, by-:Way of example, it wi11=beap parent that various `mc'idifications `might be made f therein which would'. fall .Within .the .scope of Ithe invention..` Consequently, I do notwish toi-belim ited in this' respect; 'rbuti desireto "bef afforded.1 the full scope ofthe appended claims.

I c1aim.as my. invention:

1. Afshake-outrack. adapted .to tsupport; laundry shake-out' po'lessand'guide .the samefzto' a laundry. machine, comprising a frame. adapted to Yhe disposed-A adjacentthe machinef: said frame having a pairi of. laterallyispaced; inclined; primary guide meansuponlwhich .theendsiof :shake-V out poles .areVA adapted; `to .rest landA along. which they 'can .slidevr in aldirection` Vvtovvard..:the. ma-

l chine; afpair of. flatera'lly spaced; A verticaL.l pivot means carried-1loyffsaidv frameatts side adjacent the machinenand substantiallytriangular gate means eachhaving a verticaltubul'arleg pivoted --onjfone ofi-:said:y pivotlmeansgiachaoisai dngate means [having aifsecondzlegiV providing a: second- Yary, inclined guidemeans Whichcprovides, vWhen .each:` gatemeans: is .apivoted to:-l annextended. po-

"sition, 'aff continuation of. :said: primary guide meansalonglwhich the-poles can be. s1id-to` the -machine,` said `secondary guide .means Vloeingffof greater -slope than said fprimary guide means,' said gate means being adapted,"when pivoted to -retracted-position :against saidrframe,l to eiect j-an'unobstruct'ed passageway between the' ma- -'chine and saidframe .through .which attendants fof the machine can walk, each of said gate means having av stop 'shoulder adjacent the intersectionfof .itslegsfandfincluding elevating means Y .lforv-raising'. Isaid 'gate' means .during the pivotal movement ofzthelatterto retracted position soas to dispose said stop shoulder in the plane of the sshake-.outfpoles'- disposedt-onsaidy primaryl guide meansnand =t`hus 1 preventrsliding displacement `oi -saidp'oles from saidprimary guide means.

21; Arack-as'dened'inclaim 1 in Whichfsaid `zelevating'. means. comprises rinterengaging. cam

igoimeans: on said" pivotmeans and said. gate means.

3. A rack asdened'in claim 2in which said interengagingcam means-.includes a'cam lug on saidvertical'legengageable with an' annular cam edge onV said pivot means. 

